The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released its December orange crop forecast for the 2008-09 growing season today, reducing its earlier estimate by 1 million boxes to 165 million boxes. “Florida citrus growers need higher returns to handle increased production costs due, in part, to unprecedented disease pressures and high input prices,” Michael W. Sparks, executive vice president and chief executive officer of Florida Citrus Mutual, said in a news release. “Hopefully, the reduced crop will spur higher prices to growers.

“At the same time," Sparks said, "the industry is sitting on historically large inventories of juice and we need to move some of that product out of the pipeline. Despite these and other challenges facing Florida citrus, I’m optimistic this is going to be a good year for growers.” The USDA makes its initial citrus production forecast in October and then revises it monthly until the end of the season in July.

The USDA maintained its prediction that 23 million boxes of grapefruit will be produced in 2008-09. A lower forecast for early and midseason varieties in Florida accounts for the USDA's estimate decrease for oranges. The early and midseason crop is now projected at 87 million boxes, down from 88 million boxes, and Valencias are projected to total 78 million boxes this season.

Estimates for Florida specialty fruit did not change; the USDA predicts 1.5 million boxes of tangelos and 4.9 million boxes of tangerines. The yield for from-concentrate orange juice is expected to be 1.58 gallons per 90-pound box, down from 1.59, according to the USDA.

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